Friday, 19 June 2009
Trip Cancellation Insurance
That's why Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption protection is so essential. This insurance reimburses travel costs if your travel plans are cancelled prior to departure, or if you are disrupted after the trip has begun. After all, sometimes life takes over and travel plans go out the window.
Nobody can predict the future. Unexpected family or medical reasons can force you to call off, change, or even interrupt well–planned trips. Plus, there are other factors that can impact travel plans. In today's unpredictable economy, you may suddenly find yourself out of work. After losing a job, you might not be able to afford the vacation anymore. Fortunately, job loss is a covered risk under Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption insurance(TU depends on insurance company). So you should add this important travel insurance.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Canadians Lagging Behind Worldwide Travelers for Travel Insurance
Is this due to a lack of understanding of the benefits of proper travel insurance coverage, or is there more to this disturbing trend that is placing Canadians at greater risk of financial and medical hazard? It would appear that for many, Canada’s long-standing faith in the country’s healthcare system may be to blame.
Ipsos Reid polled more than 2,200 Canadians in the spring of 2008 and found that 50.1 per cent of them who travel to the US ‘always of usually’ buy travel insurance. In contrast, results from a worldwide survey of some 3,700 TripAdvisor members found that 75 per cent of worldwide respondents, and 60 per cent of US respondents, purchased travel insurance in the last year. Why such a disparity on coverage?
In part, it’s due to our mistaken belief that our existing provincial medical coverage will protect us should we need it abroad, or anywhere else in the country. Yet the reality is that our universal healthcare system only covers a fraction of any medical emergency outside of a traveler’s home province, not to mention it’s also very different from one region of the country to the next.
For example, some of the highest coverage rates for medical expenses come from the Maritime provinces, whereas some of the lowest can be found in British Columbia where residents rarely receiver more than $75 a day for emergency medical costs.
Due to these regional differences, the Ipsos Reid survey found that as many as 60 per cent of all British Columbians polled purchased travel insurance for travel to the US, whereas only 40.7 per cent of Maritimes do. As for inter-provincial travel, only 38.2 per cent of Canadian respondents said they protected themselves with additional travel coverage.
The reality is the most Canadians are not positioned to pay out thousands of dollars in hospital bills or expect to have to deal with the disappointing loss of their hard-earned vacation due to cancellations or interruptions. It’s true that some travelers feel that their employment or credit card insurance plans adequately cover them; however the truth is that most won’t cover up-front payments for things as basic as ambulance fees.
It’s important to learn the benefits of a property-protected vacation. In doing so, travelers will not only continue to turn them as their insurance experts, but they will also benefit from the peace of mind and protection that is so important when away from home.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Outdoor Adventure Travel Comes with Risks
A recent Canadian Tourism Commission report called almost five and a half million Canadians'soft outdoor adventure enthusiasts'. Activities that rated high withCanadians included wilderness hiking, wildlife viewing, fishing,cycling and kayaking.
During spring break many students and younger Canadians find themselves drawn to these kinds of activities in the United States and other destinations.
Of course, outdoor adventure always carries risk. Provincial medical plans cover only a fraction of medical expenses, and most foreign hospitals and doctors routinely charge thousands of dollars a day. ~We~re finding that these costs add up very quickly for travellers unfortunate enough to end up ina hospital, said Cecile Langlois, national director of claims and travel assistance for TIC Travel Insurance Coordinators Ltd.
Canadian travellers should always carry emergencyhospital and medical travel insurance. ~We cover recreational activities like skiing, hiking, camping and rock climbing, so students and travellers seeking adventure in other countries don~t have to worry about unexpected medical bills,~said Natalie Dupuis, TIC~s vice~president of product.
Students travelling witha group of three or more people and participating inamateur sport tournaments or activities can get coverage under TIC~s Group Sports Plan.
Finally, for those adventure~seekers under the age of 30 who are thinking about that big back packing trip across Europe or Asia, the YouthAdventure Package Plan makes perfect sense. Youthtravellers receive $5 million hospital and medical coverage as well as benefits covering lost or stolen baggage or trip interruption.
To learn more about travel insurance or for a complete list of products, visit Bridges International Insurance Services
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Claim story from Travel Underwriter
His travel insurance plan covered the cost of surgery, his three-day stay in the hospital afterwards, as well as the ambulance service and necessary prescriptions upon release. Not only were the medical expenses covered, his Travel Underwriters insurance policy also covered the $1,600 return of his vehicle by a commercial agency to Canada, since he was unable to drive back. The total claim amount was in excess of $39,000 USD, with only $400 CAD being covered by his government health insurance.
A claim example like this is a perfect way to understand the concrete value and peace of mind that comes with purchasing travel insurance.
Looking for a few more claims examples? It will come. Meantime, please take a look at the Travel Insurance site. That would give you an idea about cost of the Travel Insurance.
Warmest regards,
Saturday, 15 November 2008
More Countries Want Canadian Travellers
The repot showed that outbound travel in Canada is up nealy 10% since 2004, even after scares like 9/11, SARS and wars. Part of the increase in travel could be due to shifting Canadian demographics, as Canadian travellers are getting older. Canadians over 50 make travel a strong priority in their lives and they certainly aren’t afraid to leave the country.
“A decade ago, courtiers like China, Vietnam and South Africa were not actively marketing themselves in Canada as tourist destinations,” states the report. Now more than 100 countries target the Canadian outbound leisure market.
Canada also remains a popular destination for international travellers as well. The World Economic Forum recently ranked Canada as one of the top ten best nations to visit. Their Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index gave us high scores for transportation infrastructure, health and education.
Who leaves Canada?
Yes, apparently some people do leave our fine country for greener pastures. A Stats Canada report shows that only one person out of every 1000 actually leaves Canada to make a life elsewhere – quite a low number. Of those who leave, most don’t return. But this is changing. Most people who leave are coming back.
For those who return to Canada, TIC’s Global Expatriate Hospital & Medical Plan covers them while they wait for their provincial medical health plan to activeate.
So who leaves Canada?
The typical person is:
・ Living in Canada during a recession or period of economic stagnation.
・ Aged 25- 34
・ Living in a city or urban area
・ Makes over $100,000 a year
The study also noted that Francophone Quebecers had by far the lowest departure rates, while Anglophone Quebecers had the highest.
You need travel insurance anyway.
Monday, 9 June 2008
ADVANTAGES OF TIC’S MEDICAL UNDERWRITING
Just because you have a pre-existing medical conditions doesn’t mean you have to travel without coverage. TIC’s medical underwriting program offers flexibility because we underwrite each individual based on his or her own set of medical conditions.
Most companies group you into categories. For example, they might put everyone with a heart condition in category A. If something happens while on vacation and you make a claim, the company then checks to see if you can be covered. In other words, you’re not entirely sure what you’re covered for.
Our medical underwriting program is different. We cover each person individually and state explicitly what he or she is covered for. When you travel, you know exactly what you’re getting.
That’s not all we do better. We give travellers the choice of which conditions they want covered. For example, if you have a heart condition and arthritis, we can offer you coverage for both of these conditions, one of these conditions, or neither of these conditions. We think it’s better to work with the customer individually by offering more choice and better prices.
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
CLAIMS STORY
Imagine a simple vacation turning into a nightmare. That’s what happened to Roy (not his real name) who thought a visit to his sister in sunny Australia would give him plenty of time for surf and sand.
One day at the local beach, Roy dove into shallow water and didn’t come back up. His friends pulled him out of the water and discovered that he couldn’t move his limbs. He was airlifted to a hospital in Perth and diagnosed with a broken neck. Roy was suddenly a quadriplegic.
Roy’s brother-in-law quickly phoned TIC. Our travel assistance department contacted the hospital and received the necessary paperwork so they could guarantee coverage for Roy. Our travel assistance evening staff constantly communicated with the family members here in Canada, updating them on Roy’s condition.
His parents were the most concerned. They booked tickets to Australia to be with their son and our case manager told them that Roy’s admission to hospital was entirely covered. They wouldn’t have to worry about money and could concentrate on helping their son during this difficult time. The case manager told them about the Transportation of Family or Friend benefit and how they could claim out-of-pocket expenses.
Although the hospital in Australia thought Roy would have to stay for six weeks, his parents wanted their son back in Canada as soon as possible.
Our medical consultant remained in constant communication with the treating doctors. After two and a half weeks, our assistance team received the okay from the Australian doctors and began making arrangements to get Roy back to Canada quickly and safely.
But the family faced more problems. Roy didn’t have a family doctor, so it wasn’t easy to find a hospital to take him. Through heard work TIC managed to get him a bed in Vancouver General Hospital’s spinal unit – exactly where his parents wanted him.
Stretcher transport is no longer allowed in North America but our travel assistance team still figured out a way to get him back to Canada. He flew a stretcher trip on an airplane from Australia to Los Angeles. In LA, an air ambulance returned him back to Vancouver.
His mother has MS and she couldn’t fly back with him. Roy’s parents stayed in Australia while their son was being transported to the other side of the world. Our travel assist team stayed in constant communication with his parents, updating them on his progress.
In the end, TIC got Roy home before Christmas, just three weeks after the accident. His parents were extremely happy and grateful. In a life-changing accident like this, it makes an enormous difference when you have professionals working on the hospital details and travel arrangements. Roy and his parents had enough to worry about and we happily did everything we could to relieve some of the burden. Apply online at http://www.biis.ca